Victim Services
In November 2017, Ohio voters approved Marsy’s Law, a constitutional amendment guaranteeing rights to victims of criminal offenses. A victim is defined as a person against whom a criminal offense is committed or someone who has been directly and proximately harmed by the commission of a criminal offense.
As a result of this amendment, victims are automatically granted certain rights as well as having additional rights available to them upon request.
Victims are automatically entitled to:
The right to be treated with fairness and respect for your safety, dignity, and privacy.
Reasonable protection from the accused or any person acting on behalf of the accused.
Receive information about the status of the case.
Refuse a defense interview, deposition, or other discovery request unless ordered by the court.
Object to defense requests for access to their confidential information, including medical, counseling, school, or employment records, access to their personal devices, online accounts, or other personal information.
Be present at all public proceedings, other than grand jury proceedings.
Have a support person with them during proceedings.
Make statements in certain public proceedings involving victims’ rights.
Object to unreasonable delays in the case.
Full and timely restitution from the offender.
A victim must request a right to:
Receive notice of the arrest, escape, or release of the offender.
Have personal identifying information redacted from case documents before public release.
Reasonable and timely notice of all public court proceedings.
Confer with the prosecutor assigned to the case.
Be notified of subpoenas, motions, or other requests to access any of their personal information.
Appoint a victim’s representative.
For additional information regarding your rights as a victim please visit the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
For further victim assistance involving misdemeanor cases please contact the City of Toledo Prosecutor’s Office at (419)245-1975
For further victim assistance in cases involving felony cases please visit the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office.
Restitution
Victims of a criminal offense have a constitutional right to receive full restitution from the person who committed the criminal offense against them. Restitution is compensation for "economic loss" due to a criminal offense. Restitution does not necessarily cover every loss suffered by a victim. In order to request restitution, victims or their representatives, should speak with the prosecutor assigned to their case informing them they are seeking restitution.
Restitution can be court-ordered as a condition of probation or as a stand-alone sentence. Restitution payments are made through the Clerk of Court’s Office and disbursed by the Court’s Probation Department. Restitution payments are automatically disbursed to the victim whenever the balance in the restitution account reaches $200.00 or the balance is paid in full. It is important that victims notify the Probation Department of any change of address or phone number in order to receive timely payments.
If restitution becomes past due, the Clerk's Office will send the amount to collections according to Ohio Revised Code Section 2929.28(G)(1). Each time the collection firm receives a payment, they will remit the money to the Clerk’s Office to be paid to the victim.
Additionally, Under Ohio Victim’s Rights laws, you have the right to pursue civil collection of restitution if you prefer. You can pursue civil collection at any time until restitution is paid in full. For more information on pursuing a civil collection, please see the Civil Filing Information Sheet below.
If you have additional questions regarding the payment of restitution you may contact the Clerk of Courts at (419)-936-3650.
For additional questions regarding the disbursement of restitution you may contact the Probation Department at (419)-245-1930.
